BALTIMORE — Catching a bus across the mid-section of the city. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott hasn’t forgotten what it was like when he was growing up.
“I remember getting up at 5:30 to got from west to east to get to high school on time at eight o’clock in the morning,” he said.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg came to the city on Tuesday to announce change is on the way.
“For it to take longer for someone who lives here in Baltimore to get to work or school, than it takes to get here from Capital Hill if you do have a car shows you what needs to change and it is going to change thanks to this very important project,” said Buttigieg.
With $22 million from the federal government and $28 million more from the city and state, the East-West Priority Corridor Project should produce a massive overhaul of the system.
“This project is going to deliver 10 miles of dedicated bus lanes, bus stop enhancements in more than a hundred different locations, including benches and shelters and real-time signage, ADA upgrades, three miles of transit signal priority,” said Maryland Transportation Secretary Greg Slater.
With direct connections to MARC, light rail and Metro, the project should shorten drive or ride times and deliver people to work without the current delays for those who have little choice, but to use the system.
“The East-West Priority Corridor is an ambitious vision to connect the city, to create jobs and to help more people in Baltimore access opportunity,” said Buttigieg. “Including for communities that depend on public transit the most, which are disproportionately likely to be communities of color.”
It’s estimated along the 20-mile span, there are 17,000 homes where the owners to not have cars showing the impact it could have on those who rely upon the transit service.
